A Pre- Feux de St.Jean ( Summer Solstice) Greeting

Above, Dutch Artist Marjolein Van der Sluis for Le Côté Français Maison's L'Art Du Coussin Series


I've been away for too long, but delighted to bring many new creative developments to our already burgeoning coffers. Numerous vintage and antique textiles and passementerie, being collaged with modern day silks, velvets and linens and original works such as the one above, created by Marjolein Van der Sluis for LCFM are soon to debut at our NYIGF August show on pillows, throws and table linens as well as gift packaging.
Before leaving for the Old World in early July, we will also debut both of French artist Jean Claude Brasset's works, Zebre Eiffel, and Zebre Flammes, also from Le Côté Français Maison's L'Art Du Coussin Series, on Throws, napkins and placemats with wonderful patchwork textile borders - chic, tailored patchwork, of course, never frumpy or dowdy. And please stay tuned for new pieces from the "Tricolore" Collection, due out before Bastille Day, in of course, Red, White and Blue.
à la prochaine ....

Vintage French Jacobean Floral, left and Antique French Neoclassical Medallion Print, below



LCFM " CollectionTricolore" teaser

"Printemps, tu est venu me dire que l'Amour est devant..."

"Spring, you have come to tell me to behold Love"...
translated from a poem by Elodie Santos

During these past weeks I've been diligently at work building our new e-commerce site, www.lcfmaison.com  creating new pillows, throws, table linens and ultra groovy bedding for super-special orange loving clients, and planning for Le Cote Francais Maison's August 19th debut in the Home Textiles Division at the New York International Gift Fair. 

Vin Andella, of VINBO WebDesign http://vinbo.com/   has been sheer joy to work with, as have Charlotte and Yanti, the LCFM couture faeries - who excel at what they do, and have each taught me so much about the technicalities of making fanciful designs reality- the new Mursay Throw is a perfect example of our successful teamwork

meet the new "Mursay" Throw, from the Maintenon Collection, available through Le Cote Francais Maison, www.lcfmaison.com

the reversible  "Mursay" Throw, measures 49" wide by 65" long, and combines a chinoiserie toile in seafoam green earthen hues with a bold kelly/sapphire/aqua stripe on ecru canvas, both of pure cotton, with a lemon silk-velvet verso, all trimmed in aqua and kelly silk piping

 

a very conceptual sketch of the LCF Maison booth at the NYIGF this August


I hope that you will also enjoy your personal renaissances to the fullest, and that each new Spring day blossoms with new understandings and opportunities for happiness. 
Au revoir..

Our Ruby Plaza Shop Officially Opens

http://www.rubyplaza.com/shop/lecotefrancaismaison

I'm happy to let you know that we've just opened this online shop for the LCF Maison soft goods, in  Ruby Plaza, a genteel virtual marketplace  owned and operated by the Ruby Lane group. I've had only positive experiences with Ruby Lane, meeting many extraordinary clients through the antique/collectible shop I established through them several years ago.

on le Golfe du Mexique not la Côte d'Azur , and it's OK

Early yesterday morning we ventured onto the Naples, Florida beach with a camera and these two substantially sized Floor Cushions that the talented Melissa Allen, Principal of MGA Interior Design,LLC had commissioned us to create for their Naples, Florida ASID Showhouse interior last year.
After months in seclusion,  these "Antibes" coussins, from the Le Côté Français Maison's  Côte d'Azur Collection, were thrilled to be the stars of their own photo shoot.


The LCFMaison "Antibes" Custom Box Style Floor Cushion, 27" square, featuring a 1970s Block Print fabric from our vintage textile inventory combined with a leopard crepe de chine and current, textural fabrics in aqua and espresso brown, and a Java striped white linen on the verso






This is how we worked with Melissa Allen, and how we work with interior designers  to customize our soft goods to their color schemes.
You can see more of MGA Interior Design's work at www.mgainteriordesign.com

 

A Valentine Debut

  Valentine's Day would be the perfect day for me to introduce this labor of love, Le Côté Français Maison, dear to my heart, to those of you who also delight in vintage and antique textiles, while favoring a contemporary aesthetic.  

A few years ago, I brought over some vintage and antique French furniture and accessories that I had lots of fun picking out - mostly in the provinces. I sold everything eventually, without making much profit, but developing a lovely international client base of people who appreciated old and pretty French objects. Deciding that shipping and the inevitable complications that arise from moving large fragile things thousands of miles were a bore, I turned my interior designer energies to hunting and gathering eye-catching textiles, discovering that box style pillows offered a wonderful form for presenting interesting collages  juxtaposing these collectible fabrics with new textiles. During the past year and a half, having carefully accumulated a variety of Toiles,Lampas,needlepoints, 20's and 30's florals and deco prints, 60's and 70's Op-Art and geometric prints, homespun linens, vintage designer dress fabrics antique trims, and more, mostly from France but also from other countries, I designed the first Le Côté Français Maison Toss Pillows and Throws that you see here, on the Le Côté Français Facebook Page, Twitter,(@lecotefrancais) and in other places, both virtual and 3D that I will list for you in my next post. A website is in the works, as is a Trade Show, and  other exciting  developments. In the next post, I shall also tell you about the Limited Edition Art Pillows, created for Le Côté Français Maison by Jean Claude Brasset.  

For now, I'll leave you with  pictures of three custom Decorative Pillows, from the LCF Maison debut collection, that I hope may set your heart aflutter, and make your eyes glad. 

Bonne Saint Valentin!